Cash-register.



No. 775,198. PATENTED NGV. l5, 1904.

W. F. sfr. CLAIR. CASH REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1a. 1904. VNo MODEL.

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Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT EEICE.

WILLIAM F. ST. CLAIR, OF OWATONNA, MINNESOTA.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 77 5,198, dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed April 18, 1904:. Serial No. 203,797. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. ST. CLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owatonna, in the countyof Steele andState of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

The cash-register of this invention is intended for use in stores or oiiices, and is so constructed that a number of employees or operators may use the same and each o ne have a private compartment for the reception of cash taken in vand in connection with each drawer have a separate record to keep the proper memoranda of each business transaction, so that it will be possible to supervise the transactions of each operator or employee and prevent confusion or loss incident to the transactions of a number of different parties.

rlhe register is so constructed that it will automatically move the record-strip and at the same time open the proper compartment after the business transaction has been recorded, thereby enabling the proprietor to have a personal knowledge of eachY transaction, which will facilitate the detection of fraud and enable the operations of each of the employees to be supervised and determined.

The invention consists in the features ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention7 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the cash-register with the outer wall removed; Fig. 2, a rear elevation of the same with the outer wall removed, and Fig. 3 an enlarged detail ofthe support for the record strip or ribbon. Y

As shown the cash-register is constructed in the form of a cabinet of drawers, although it is apparent that the exact form and arrangement herein shown is immaterial and that the compartments and operating mechanism can be otherwise mounted by arranging the same within a-desk, wall, vor other suitable construction. As shown, the cabinet consists of a sloping top A, provided with a hinge a to enable it to be raised, side walls o', a rear wall a2, and a bottom a3, and, as shown, the cabinet is supported upon legs or standards ci of suitable size and shape. Within the cabinet is a cross-wall B near the upper part thereof for the support of the operative'mechanism hereinafter described. Within the cabinet are a series of receptaclcsb of any suitable number, two being shown for purposes of illustration, and each of the receptacles having in its sides grooves or runways o for the reception of flanged wheels or rollers b2, and said wheels are rotatably mounted nupon strips C. extending from front tol rear of the cabinet, along the sides thereof, enabling the receptacles to be easily and quickly moved in and out of the cabinet or other support.

For each of the receptacles is a record-strip,

vmounted upon rollers c andc, and said strip is adapted to travel beneath and in close proximity to a slot or opening c2 in the sloping top of the register for enabling the operator to make a record upon the strip of each transaction as the same takes place. The rollers are mounted between uprights D, rigidly secured to the cross-wall or floor B, and said uprights are united by a smooth platform d, over which the record is adapted to travel, which platform provides a smooth and rigid surface for the recording of memoranda on the record as the same is moved thereover. The drum c' is provided with a sprocketwheel ci exterior of the support, and said sprocket-wheel is moved by means of a dog CZ?, pivoted to a rigid upright cl3, which latter projects upwardly from an operatingrod E, provided with a knob or button eat its forward endexterior of the cash-register, so that as the rod E is moved back the dog will move the sprocket-wheel to carry the record over the platform or table and beneath the slot 02 preparatory to the recording of a new transaction. In order to prevent the accidental movement of the sprocket-wheel, a second dog e2 is provided, which also engages with the teeth of the'sprocket-wheel and is pivoted to the support D.

The operating-rod at its rearend is pivoted to the upper arm f of a b'ell-'crank'lever F, which lever is pivoted between ears f and terminates in an inwardly-projecting arm f2, to which arm is attached a depending rod f3, which is pivoted at its lower end to an arm]L24 for releasing the proper drawer simultaneously with the movement of the record-strip. The arm f* terminates in a linger' and is pivoted, by means of a pin f, to an upright bar G, two of said bars being employed in the construction shown, and between the bars project catch-lingers g, rearwardly projecting from the respective drawers, and when the drawers or receptacles are in retracted position the catch-lingers are engaged by the lingers f, which are in elevated position when normal, so that the drawers will normally be locked, but will be released or unlocked by pushing' the operating-rod E, which serves to impart an upward pull to the rod f, depressing the linger end of the bar f", and releasing the catch-linger of the proper drawer.

Each of the drawers is adapted to compress a spring' H, suitably secured to the upright bars R at one end, and at the end of each of the springs is a hammer L, as shown in Fig. 2, which is adapted to strike a bell or g'ong /1/ as the drawer or receptacle is released and forced out by the action of the spring', which causes the hammer to fly forward and strike the g'ong simultaneously with the release of the drawer.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that each of the drawers will be provided with an operating mechanism and record-strip in all respects similar to that hitherto described and that a larger number of drawers may be employed without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention, although but two drawers have been shown for purposes of illustration. After a transaction has been recorded on the proper recordstrip the button will be pressed, which pressure simultaneously moves the record-strip and opens the proper drawer, so that cash or business memoranda can be inserted into the proper cash-drawer at the time the transaction is recorded on the cooperating recordstrip. By this arrangement a proper record is kept of the business transactions and receipts of each of the employees or operators, so that there is no danger of confusion or loss incident to the employment of a number of persons.

lV hat I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

l. In a cash-register, the combination of a l support, a drawer within the support having' grooves or recesses in its side walls, rollers adapted to enter the grooves or recesses to mount the drawer, a catch-linger rearwardly projecting from the drawer, a pivoted finger adapted to engage the catch-linger, a drawrod attached to the pivoted finger, a bell-crank lever pivoted to the draw-rml, a movable operating-rod for imparting' motion to the bellcrank lever, two drums adapted to carry a record-strip, a mounting' for the drums consisting' of a platform over which the recordstrip is adapted to pass, side walls connected with the platform, a rigid support for the side walls, a sprocket-wheel connected with one of the drums, a dog engaging the sprocketwheel, and an upright on the operating-rod to which the dog is pivoted for simultaneously moving' the sprocket-wheel and releasing the catch-finger on the d rawcr, substantially as d escribed.

Q. In a cash-register, the combination of a support, a drawer within the support having' grooves or recesses in its side walls, rollers adapted to enter the grooves or recesses to mount the drawer, a catch-linger rearwardly projecting from the drawer, a pivoted linger adapted to engage the catch-linger, a drawrod attached to the pivoted finger, a bell-crank lever pivoted to the draw-rod, a movable operating-rod for imparting motion to the bellcrank lever, two drums adapted to carry a record-strip, a mounting' for the drums consisting' of a platform over which the recordstrip is adapted to pass, side walls connected with the platform, a rigid support for the side walls, a sprocket-wheel connected with one of the drums, a dog engaging' the sprocketwheel, an upright on the operating-rod to which the dog is pivoted for simultaneously moving' the sprocket-wheel and releasing the catch-finger on the drawer, a spring adapted to bear against the drawer when closed, a hammer on the end of the spring, and a bell adapted to be struck by the hammer when the drawer is unlocked and the spring' released from tension, substantially as described.

WILLIAM F. ST. CLAIR.

Witnesses:

HENRY LmU'rHoLD, ARCHN ANDREWS. 

